To investigate this story, the Coloradoan spent the past month vetting accounts, speaking to police and interviewing all parties involved before publishing this story.

A Fort Collins magazine publisher is shuttering his print edition while denying allegations of sexual harassment after a social media post last month kicked up multiple claims of inappropriate behavior.

A handful of people crafted posts of their own, telling stories about Mockler or alleging unsubstantiated claims of inappropriate behavior they say has gone on for years.

After the allegations surfaced on Nov. 13, the Coloradoan began a monthlong investigation that included interviews with Mockler and individuals who accused him of sexual misconduct, as well as inquiries to police in an effort to verify current claims and past reports.

Speaking over the phone from his family’s home in Mexico on Friday, Mockler responded by denying all allegations of sexual harassment levied against him.

Mockler likened the Facebook post, and subsequent comments, to a carefully orchestrated smear campaign launched in an effort to discredit him, force him to close Scene and make room for a newly announced Northern Colorado arts and entertainment magazine called Salt.

"I firmly believe this is a conspiracy being launched to get me, to put my magazine out of business," Mockler said.

When asked if he could point to direct effects the allegations have had on Scene's advertising revenue or financial health, Mockler said that other than his decision to not distribute the magazine's December issue because of the post, he's not sure if there have been other effects.

Anthony Cross, the founder of Salt, denied any sort of conspiracy against Mockler. In an interview with the Coloradoan earlier this month, Cross said Salt has been a longtime dream of his — one that has been in the works since this summer.

The free, monthly magazine will launch in early January, covering Northern Colorado arts, culture and social issues.

"Salt Magazine thoroughly denies any allegations of conspiracy — we will always welcome any competition," Cross said in a written statement Monday. "We believe it necessary at this time to continue to listen to the voices of the women and survivors who have bravely come forward to accuse a public figure of sexual misconduct."

Magic Cyclops, who declined to be identified by his legal name, said over text messages that he had never heard of Salt Magazine.

The Coloradoan reached out to four women and one man who posted specific allegations of sexual misconduct they claimed to have witnessed or experienced from Mockler. A reporter commented on various posts to ask respondents to share their experiences.

One woman reached out to the Coloradoan to detail allegations of misconduct.

None were ready to publicly identify themselves and share their experiences as of Tuesday. The Coloradoan declined to use unnamed sources for this story, as the individuals' claims have not been substantiated by police or any evidence.

Mary Willson, a former Coloradoan employee, has publicly alleged Mockler created a hostile work environment while she worked at Scene. The Coloradoan did not interview Willson for this story due to a conflict of interest.

Fort Collins police did not have any open cases involving Mockler as of Monday, according to spokesperson Kate Kimble. A search into Mockler's background did not show any past criminal charges or civil complaints relating to sexual misconduct.

During an interview with the Coloradoan, Mockler did not respond when asked about specific allegations made by his accusers. He did, however, address why five female members of the magazine walked out on Scene together in July 1995.

The women, who sent a letter to the editor to the Coloradoan at that time, accused Mockler of creating an unprofessional work environment for them. In a follow-up article in August 1995, one employee told the Coloradoan that Mockler's conduct toward women was "horrible."

"The workplace environment was good at first, and it became more fraught as time went on," said Penny Carson, one of those five female employees, in an interview with the Coloradoan last month.

Carson said the group walked out after Mockler demanded they switch gears days before deadline and work on a non-Scene project, putting that month's issue of the magazine in jeopardy.

In an email to the Coloradoan on Monday, Mockler responded, "When I contract someone to do work for me and they offer poor results, I let them go, male or female, which is my prerogative. I'm gender-neutral in how I look at contractors — it's all about performance, nothing more."

Carson went on to describe the workplace environment at Scene during her time as its managing editor from the fall of 1994 to July 1995 as "intolerable."

When Carson saw the Facebook post that originally kicked off the series of allegations, she said, "It was such a relief."

"I think it's good that it's coming out because he's had 20, 30 years to" — Carson paused — "run his magazine the way he wants to run it," she added.

A day after the Facebook status alleging misconduct was posted, Mockler jumped into the conversation and replied with several comments that have since been deleted, along with his Facebook profile. The Coloradoan saved screenshots of the comments when they were posted. Mockler's Facebook page was either deactivated or deleted as of Wednesday morning.

One of the posts from Mockler stated (unedited by the Coloradoan beyond censoring profanity): "The thing about we humans is that we like to f---. It's on our minds most of the time, especially in our younger years. It's in our very nature. boy hits on girl, girl hits on boy and so on. this is who we are as a sexual society. The Nature of the beast if you will. Hitting on someone is a far cry from sexual-harassment. I've been hit on and totally been repulsed by the person hitting on me and obviously it's happened in the reverse..."

Mockler told the Coloradoan on Friday that he made a mistake by trying to defend himself with the comments.

"That was my error initially. I should have just shut up," he said before adding, "This is my view of our society. This is the way I've seen it for over 50 years of being in the entertainment business. This is what we do."

After the initial social media storm started swirling around the Facebook post, Scene's official Facebook page disappeared and its website was routed to a page that said the site was being worked on, raising questions as to the future of the magazine.

Both the Facebook page and Scene website reappeared online last week. Mockler on Friday said there was no plan to change anything relating to Scene.

But in an email to the Coloradoan the following day, Mockler announced that Scene's print side would be shuttered and it would continue solely as an online publication.

"The timeliness of monthly publications is over. With online sites providing minute-by-minute update on events and activities, scenenoco.com already has more content than we can print pages," Mockler wrote.

Scene has most recently operated out of an office in The Music District's co-working space at 619 S. College Ave. As of Tuesday, the magazine was still a tenant of the space, according to a Bohemian Foundation spokesperson.

Mockler, a former Brooklynite with a booming voice and heavy New York accent, has been part of the Fort Collins entertainment scene since moving here in 1988, according to Coloradoan archives.

He managed the since-closed Sports Page bar before working on the advertising side of the Mason Street Oracle, which folded and became Scene in the early 1990s. He's been its publisher for the more than 25 years since.

In that time, Mockler's face has adorned Scene's annual "Best of the City" award certificates, which establishments hang on their walls to announce they are among the city's best spots for Thai food, breakfast burritos and more.

If you walk through Old Town and slip into Jazz Alley — a slim alley next to the Bohemian Foundation headquarters on Mountain Avenue — you'll be greeted by a 1,500-square-foot mural that was commissioned by the Bohemian Foundation and unveiled in 2011.

The mural includes a mix of celebrities, local legends, pop icons and world leaders — anyone from Marilyn Monroe to Barack Obama to Sonny Lubick — watching a group of local musicians perform.

In the mural's far right corner is a painted version of Mockler, sitting with a camera and watching the show with a Scene press pass strung around his neck.

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Michael Mockler, second from right, was included in a Bohemian Foundation-commissioned mural in Jazz Alley.(Photo: Erin Udell/Coloradoan)

"I can honestly say that I have a long-term relationship with most of my clients, some of them know me 20-30 years, " Mockler said in the Friday interview. "And anybody I know that long knows exactly who I am ..."

Mockler said he's retained an attorney, who is looking at exploring his legal options surrounding the original Facebook post and subsequent reports about it.

"These allegations certainly have touched me, but the ramifications of this is my staff, my friends and my clients," Mockler said Friday.

"And if you want to bring something to my attention, bring it to my attention," he continued. "Don't harm anybody that's associated with me. The callous nature of this assault is hurting a lot more people than me."

Timeline

July/August 1995: Five female Scene employees quit the magazine together and write a letter to the editor of the Coloradoan claiming their boss, Michael Mockler, created an unprofessional work environment for them. Mockler responds by calling the women disgruntled employees.

While you can experience sexual harassment anywhere, Abetya says school and work are "places that you can't reasonably leave without a consequence to yourself."

Sexual harassment is a civil, instead of criminal, matter unless it reaches a certain threshold or also falls under sexual assault.

What is sexual assault?

Sexual assault is any unwanted contact for the purposes of sexual gratification, Abeyta said. Flashing, voyeurism or any type of revenge porn falls under the definition of sexual assault and is treated as a criminal matter.

What is sexual misconduct?

According to Abeyta, sexual misconduct is less specific and is, instead, a sort of catch-all term that encompasses both sexual assault and sexual harassment.

What local resources are available to victims of sexual violence?

SAVA assists victims of sexual violence by providing assistance with reporting, assistance with seeking medical attention and therapy services for survivors and loved ones of survivors. The center has a 24/7 crisis hotline you can call at 970-472-4200.

SAVA also has offices in Fort Collins, 4812 S. College Ave., and Greeley, 921 38th Avenue Court, that are open from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. All services are completely confidential and walk-ins are welcome. For more information on the SAVA Center, visit savacenter.org.